Show Me My Opponent-Ole Miss Runnin' Rebels

First and foremost, the beautiful ladies of Mississip.

Eli Manning and Britney Spears at an Ole Miss game.

Location: Oxford, Mississippi

Record:7-3

Last Season: 24-11 Lost in NIT Finals

Head Coach: Andy Kennedy

Head Coach Andy Kennedy

Conference: SEC

Enrollment: 17,323

Stadium: C.M. "Tad" Smith Coliseum (I had a professor named "Tad")

Projected Starters

G Chris Warren So. 5'10" 19.8 ppg 1.5 reb 4.0 ast

G David Huertas Jr. 6'5" 21 ppg 4.8 reb 2.2 ast

G Terrico White Fr. 6'5" 7.2 ppg 3.2 reb 1.7 ast

F Murphy Holloway Fr. 6'7" 7.5 ppg 4.8 reb 0.7 ast

F Kevin Cantinol Fr. 6'10" 1.4 ppg 1.0 reb 0.1 ast

Key Substitutes

G Zach Graham So. 6'5''

F Terrance Henry Fr. 6'9"

F Malcolm White So. 6'9"

F DeAundre Cranston Fr. 6'9"

The Cards drew the Runnin' Rebs (one of my favorite team names in all the NCAA) in the second annual SEC/Big East Invitational. Our Fighting Cardinals are coming off a little scare against the Governors of Austin Peay, although they won by 19. Ole Miss boasts a starting lineup featuring three freshmen, a sophomore, and a Junior transfer from Florida. And, off the bench, they bring in two more freshmen and two sophomores. Head Coach Andy Kennedy, who knows the Cards well from his days at Cincy, called his team "the softest group of guys I've ever been around" (Yahoo Sports). It's not very surprising, considering that they play five freshmen and three sophomores. With U of L coming out of the mean Big East, the so-called most physical conference in the country, we'll see if the Cards rough up the younger and weaker Rebs. The Big East is very physical, but to be honest, I haven't seen that out of the Cards yet this season. We are still pretty young ourselves, but if we want to make this season great, we have to be physical. This will be a huge test for Sosa, Knowles, Smith and McGee. Huertas and Warren are excellent players.

Prediction

U of L wins by 15 after another early struggle. Andy Kennedy knows U of L and he knows Pitino. So, they will keep it close for a half. I can also see Huertas running off 20+ against U of L's questionable backcourt. U of L 79-Ole Miss 64.